Yankees: If they sign Manny Machado, will it be heaven or will it be hell?

There is a great deal of disagreement as to whether the Yankees should sign Manny Machado to a long-term, lucrative contract. Many analysts who oppose his acquisition warn that he doesn’t hustle and he has a mean disposition.

Other analysts who support Machado’s signing argue that he is an elite baseball player and that the Yankees need him if they are to ever again become a truly dominant baseball team.

As the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers gets underway and the planet gets to see Manny Machado in action, Yankee baseball fans will be wondering whether their favorite team should sign him to a long-term deal that will probably cost between $250 and $300 million (or more).

Sitting on one side of the couch watching the World Series will be those who strongly believe that the Yanks have great chemistry right now. Therefore, they should avoid at all costs acquiring someone who will create a toxic environment in the clubhouse. This is especially an issue given the amount of money the club will have to shell out to acquire Machado. At the same time, this could make it challenging to fulfill other dire needs, such as strengthening their starting pitching.

These folks will point to his lack of hustle and his self-admitted unwillingness to change his attitude and behavior.

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In addition, they will remind us about his slide into second base during Game 3 of the NLCS in which he grabbed the leg of Milwaukee Brewers’ shortstop Orlando Arcia. Machado was ruled to have interfered with the play under MLB’s “Utley Rule,” and the result was a critical double play for the Brewers.

The “Utley Rule” was adopted after the 2015 postseason when Chase Utley’s hard slide into New York Mets’ shortstop Ruben Tejada broke Tejada’s fibula in Game 2 of the NLDS. It is ironic that Utley, like Machado now, was playing for the Dodgers at the time.

Machado also purposely kicked the leg of Milwaukee Brewers’ first baseman Jesus Aguilar in Game 4 of the NLCS and was reportedly fined $10,000 for the incident. This led Christian Yelich of the Brewers and most likely MVP of the National League to comment, “a dirty play by a dirty player.” Machado later apologized to Aguilar.

On the other side of the couch will be those who strongly feel that the Yanks would be unbeatable next year with Machado in the lineup. After all, they won 100 games without Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres in the lineup for significant amounts of time. If these (and other) players remain healthy next year with Machado on the team, the Bombers could win another 25 games. Imagine that!

Also, Didi Gregorius will be out for a large portion of next season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. He then becomes a free agent in 2019. Both these conditions in combination may encourage GM Brian Cashman to pursue Machado even more aggressively than he had initially intended and have him play shortstop.

How good is Manny Machado?

Since his debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2012, Machado has made the All-Star team four times, has twice won a Gold Glove, and once received a Platinum Glove.

During the 2018 season, he hit .297, slammed 37 home runs, and drove in 107 runs. Also, Machado stole 14 bases (was caught stealing only twice), walked 70 times, and struck out only 104 times in over 700 plate appearances. Quite impressive.

Thus far, Machado has had a fairly good postseason. He has a .250 batting average, with 11 hits including two doubles, three home runs, and nine RBIs. He has walked three times and stolen one base. His solid fielding and cannon of an arm has been on display for the duration of the postseason.

His record during the 2018 regular season and his respectable postseason performance explain why he is at the top of most MLB clubs’ free agents wish lists. Of course, not everyone will be able to afford his expected high salary demand. The Yanks, of course, can pay him if they wish to. Rumor has it that he would very much like to play for the Yanks.

Pundits on this side of the debate feel that Machado is still young at 26 years old and will continue to mature as a person. Including him in a clubhouse where there is already a mixture of veteran and young players who usually avoid controversy and bad behavior and get along exceptionally well will likely have a positive impact on him as a baseball player and human being.

Similarly, having a family as an anchor will facilitate his maturation process. Written accounts suggest that he has been happily married to the sister of Yonder Alonso, who plays first base for the Cleveland Indians. They dated while she finished college and then married.

Those who support signing Machado argue that players as good as him come along infrequently. And he has the potential to become an even better ballplayer in the coming years. In fact, he could eventually be enshrined in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium, have his number retired, and be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He is that outstanding.

One unknown is how playing in the World Series with Los Angeles will affect the way he thinks about the Dodgers. If it is a riveting experience and the Dodgers beat the Red Sox (though I think Boston will vanquish LA), he might make the Dodgers his number one choice during free agency and sign with them instead of the Yanks. The Dodgers certainly have the resources to pursue Machado if they choose to do so.

After experiencing the “Bronx Zoo” (as the Yankees were derogatorily referred to at one point in their history), and given the amount of money the Yanks will need to pay Machado to sign him, I can certainly understand how many analysts and fans see his behavior on the field as a red flag and oppose the club acquiring him.

But explosive players on both defense and offense like Machado are very rare. While I agree that there is some risk involved in signing him at such a high salary over a lengthy period of time given his past behavior, especially during the recent postseason series with the Brewers, I also feel that his current upside and overall potential is so great that it is a risk definitely worth taking.

If the Yanks acquire Machado, it will be heaven for the ballclub and its fans, and hell for those who have to pitch and play against him during the regular season and the intense and highly competitive postseason.